Old Boy: Mise-En-Scen and Composition, Visualized Metaphors

Gahee Kim

Prof. Akira Lippit

EALC 125

Nov 19 2010

Old Boy: mise-en-scen and composition, visualized metaphors

This movie Old Boy won the Cannes Grand Prix of the Jury in 2004. The director mentioned in the interview with CNN that he was really astonished at that the movie won the prize even though it cannot exactly be called an art film (Park). The prize would definitely be due to the meticulous and unorthodox mise-en-scene and composition. The movie includes philosophical, mythical, psychological theme including morality, repressed desires and feelings, and love. These profound messages are not directly presented. In this movie, mise-en-scene and composition is the key elements which connote and subtly visualize the profound theme and narrative in a subtle way, like metaphors in literature.

Colors and graphic images symbolize characters and its fates. In this movie, five colors mostly used on sets, costumes, and props. The colors are red, black, white, green, and violet. Among those colors, most interesting one is violet. Violet is the color of Soo-A and therefore, Woo-Jin either. We can see the violet color with the triangle shape patterns on the props he uses including the umbrella, box, envelope, and handkerchief. Violet or purple has symbolic images of death, feminine, elegance, and repressed feelings. All the images are linked to Soo-A. After her death, the trauma psychologically imprisons and impairs Woo-Jin. The triangle shape patterns with violet color are visual presentation of his twisted psychological status. More interesting part is that the wall-paper of the room, which Mi-Do is imprisoned by Dae-Soo for her safe, is the same color with different patterns. The director would have used the same color because Mi-Do becomes parallel character to Soo-A at the end. For the protagonist, she is the object of repressed feelings and desires. However, the director wanted to put the image of hope and salvation on her; hence, he used a crystal structure...